


Day 289

by Josh_the_Bard



Series: A Year in Kirkwall [289]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:34:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27050518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard
Series: A Year in Kirkwall [289]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257
Kudos: 1





	Day 289

Hugh quaffed another philter of lyrium to regain his lost energy. This was one of the worst magical attacks on Kirkwall from his lifetime, and that included the time a cabal of blood mages started kidnapping templar recruits and drawing demons into them. The streets were full of demons of every kind terrorizing citizens, only through the efforts of the Champion was the supply cut off. Hugh was certain Meredith would be furious that an apostate (or three) and the Captain of the Guards had outperformed her templars in the crisis.

Now all that was left was mopping up the surviving demons. This was fairly routine for experienced templars, and after four years in Kirkwall Hugh was more experienced than some long time veterans in places like Nevarra or Starkhaven, but a lapse in concentration could still be deadly.

Hugh looked around for his next fight. The pale grey cobblestone streets were charred black and anything made of wood had been reduced to ash. Some of the houses were entirely encased in ice. The residence of those houses were probably the luckiest ones. As long as they had blankets to spare they would survive until the ice melted.

Hugh noticed the despair demon, just in time to get his shield up to intercept the beam of frost it used as an attack. He felt the cold penetrate the flesh of his forearm, but the padding in his armor protected him from the worst of it.

“Margitte,” Hugh called out. The woman came running, bow at the ready. Despair demons were a challenge for most templars since, unlike rage or fear demons, they would simply fly away if you got within sword range.

Margitte fired off an arrow but it bounced off an invisible barrier that surrounded the demon. 

“Be ready,” Hugh called out as he charged. The demon saw his approach and began spinning to get the momentum it needed to fly away. Hugh focused all his will onto the creature, draining the barrier away. He only just made it close enough before the monster took to the air. While it was flying Margitte filled it with arrows and instead of coming to rest, ready for another attack, it dropped lifelessly to the ground.

Silence descended on the street. There were no demons in the immediate area, or if there were they were the clever, sneaky kind. Many times over the years Hugh had questioned his decision to join the order, but not today. Not on days like this, for if not he, then who?

“Do you hear that,” Margitte asked. Hugh cocked his head and opened his mouth slightly. The sounds of soft crying were coming from one of the houses encased with ice. It could have been a child or a demon playing games. Either way, they should investigate.

It didn’t take Hugh long to hack through the ice covering the door. Margitte followed him into the house, an arrow notched and ready to let loose.

It did not take them long to find the source of the crying. A young girl was hiding under her bed, clutching a toy chariot tightly. On the wall opposite her was the body of a woman, her mother probably. She had been frozen solid. It took Hugh no more than a glance to know that she was beyond even the most skilled healers. He took a blanket from the bed and laid it over the woman, hiding her from view.

“Hey there,” Margitte said softly. “We need to get you out of here.”

The girl didn’t respond. She didn’t take her eyes off the blanket covering her mother. 

“Hey,” Margitte said, dangling her sunburst necklace in front of the girl. “We are here to help. The light of the Maker shields us from the demons. We will keep you safe.”

The girl didn’t react until Margitte removed her gauntlet and offered her a hand. Margitte picked the girl up and carried her out of the house.

“I’ll get her to the Chantry,” she said. The girl still hadn’t spoken, she had barely acknowledged the templars at all.

Margitte set out away from the chaos. Hugh considered following her but the shriek of some monstrous creature a few blocks away drew his attention. His work was not yet done this day.


End file.
